What do people think the consequences would be of humankind believing itself (in considerable numbers) to live within a simulation? Regardless of whether or not this is the case. Here are my thoughts:

“Simulism” is the belief that we humans and our reality are somehow simulated, most likely by some kind of advanced computer the likes of which we cannot imagine let alone understand and think about. The creators of The Simulation would be a race of super-advanced beings.

But what if the whole world – or more realistically a significant portion of it – came to believe we were living in a simulation? In this post I shall discuss the consequences this would have on humankind.

If we are in The Simulation then what does that say about our humanity? One term that has been used is “virtual human”. Such beings would be reincarnated somewhere within The Simulation once they die. The workings of reincarnation would be done from behind a veil of ignorance but would be scrupulously fair and perhaps somehow related to our conduct? Unless it’s done by blind chance. But the thing is, either way we would not know where on Earth (or any other planet) we would be reincarnated, which would be a powerful reason to make the whole of our world a good place to live, lest one gets reborn in some horrid corner.

The realisation we are within a simulation would I believe have a unifying effect – as we would all be equal participants of The Simulation, regardless of race, sex, sexuality, or whatever. Also, as we die and are reborn we would exist as different races and sexes, meaning that (for instance) in one life one could be a man and in another a woman. This would I believe make people take racial and gender equality much more seriously and would result in a more equal society.

In some lives we would live in poor, undeveloped countries and in others we would live in a rich, highly developed country. I believe we’d take it in turns to live good lives and bad lives, so it would be in all our interests to make the whole wide world a better place in which to live as we don’t know in what part of it we’ll be born into in our next life.

So basically, if a great number of us believed we were living in a simulation the world would, due to rational self-interest, become an increasingly equal and developed place.

Assuming The Simulation is mechanical as opposed to organic then that would mean that the so-called “hard problem of consciousness” has been solved, by the creators of The Simulation. If of course there is a valid distinction to be made between “mechanical” and “organic”.

Premise 1: The hard problem of consciousness must be solved to produce sentient AI
Premise 2: We are sentient AI
Conclusion 1: Somewhere, the hard problem of consciousness has been solved.
Conclusion 2: Sentient AI is therefore possible.

This is at least valid!

This would mean that human civilization within The Simulation could someday produce sentient Artificial Intelligence. Unless of course we humans will always be much less able than the creators of The Simulation! But we can at least imagine as a possibility a future in which we can produce Artificial Consciousness within The Simulation. It would follow that such beings would also be citizens of The Simulation, which would mean in one life a person could be a human, and in another some kind of sentient “machine”.

What would happen to religion if significant numbers of people started to believe that we are living in a simulation? I think the world’s religions would continue, no doubt. And that most people would not believe we’re in a simulation, at least initially. But perhaps people would embrace Simulism as some kind of secular humanist philosophy? I think if Simulism were to become a philosophy rather than a hypothesis then the world would become a much better place, as I’ve previously explained.

But of course, it is still possible to believe in Simulism and a Supreme Being – it’s just that there’s an extra layer between humanity and the Supreme Being (namely The Simulation admin and its overseers). I personally believe in an ineffable God who rules over the whole of ultimate reality. And it is entirely possible that the influence of the Supreme Being reaches into The Simulation. But we could never understand this being – God – just as an ant cannot understand subtraction or grammar.

I don’t believe the world’s religions are lies, based on things done by The Simulation rather than God although I did use to. I do not believe, for instance, that The Simulation gave Moses the Ten Commandments, whilst pretending to be God. I believe all human religions arise from a mix of history, culture, myths, and the imagination, and various things that either didn’t happen or did, but were either added to and subtracted from later on. But I still believe in God – perhaps a Deist God?

To some, the Simulism hypothesis may sound bleak. I think it’s an uplifting idea and that if people came to believe in it the world would eventually become a better place. It would also mean that it is possible for a species to become ultra-advanced, which would give science and technology something to aspire to, to learn what the over-seers know. Perhaps some day we will become post-singularity space-faring post-human species, and become the equal to those who created The Simulation. But basically, I believe that the future of this planet, were people to believe in Simulism, would be a much happier one.

But of course, whether or not we’d like it to be true has nothing to do with whether or not it is!​

Premium Member

The CPU is beyond infinity, and thus can process everything with infinite threading.

There are 13 quantum dimensions including the CPU, and each works with different physics, thus all of it is possible; humans are just naively assuming its functionality, which is where we need avatars, Bodhisattvas, angels to explain it from above, instead of from below.

The CPU is beyond infinity, and thus can process everything with infinite threading.

There are 13 quantum dimensions including the CPU, and each works with different physics, thus all of it is possible; humans are just naively assuming its functionality, which is where we need avatars, Bodhisattvas, angels to explain it from above, instead of from below.

They also talk about "classical" physics - I don't follow physics but I can see that it is an exciting frontier of human knowledge and one that is constantly developing.

When talking about Simulism I've always used "computer" as a metaphor anyway. What I'm doing is the same as a Victorian calling a computer from today a "difference engine", after Charles Babbage's famous creation.

The article says as its header: "Scientists have discovered that it's impossible to model the physics of our universe on even the biggest computer." - well, could Babbage's difference engine run Sim City? Could Babbage have even imagined Sim City, never mind the internet? Just because it couldn't doesn't mean we can't on our computers. Someone please, correct me if I'm wrong.

I know Simulism may be nothing more than an enormous flight of fancy, but I feel the article you linked to lacks imagination.​

They also talk about "classical" physics - I don't follow physics but I can see that it is an exciting frontier of human knowledge and one that is constantly developing.

When talking about Simulism I've always used "computer" as a metaphor anyway. What I'm doing is the same as a Victorian calling a computer from today a "difference engine", after Charles Babbage's famous creation.

The article says as its header: "Scientists have discovered that it's impossible to model the physics of our universe on even the biggest computer." - well, could Babbage's difference engine run Sim City? Could Babbage have even imagined Sim City, never mind the internet? Just because it couldn't doesn't mean we can't on our computers. Someone please, correct me if I'm wrong.

I know Simulism may be nothing more than an enormous flight of fancy, but I feel the article you linked to lacks imagination.​

Click to expand...

It may lack imagination which I have nothing against mind you. And the thought is intriguing.

Yet would stand to reason that if it's a simulation , it should then be possible to figure out/crack lines of code comparable with the binary system of zeros and ones associated with computing devices as we know them.

At least to some degree of which to establish even a modicum of plausibility and support as to what people are saying about a simulation.

It may lack imagination which I have nothing against mind you. And the thought is intriguing.

Yet would stand to reason that if it's a simulation , it should then be possible to figure out/crack lines of code comparable with the binary system of zeros and ones associated with computing devices as we know them.

At least to some degree of which to establish even a modicum of plausibility and support as to what people are saying about a simulation.

Click to expand...

For me this whole issue brings to mind the famous quote from Arthur C. Clarke that "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" - which I believe is true. I believe history has taught us this.

Premium Member

What do people think the consequences would be of humankind believing itself (in considerable numbers) to live within a simulation? Regardless of whether or not this is the case. Here are my thoughts:

“Simulism” is the belief that we humans and our reality are somehow simulated, most likely by some kind of advanced computer the likes of which we cannot imagine let alone understand and think about. The creators of The Simulation would be a race of super-advanced beings.

But what if the whole world – or more realistically a significant portion of it – came to believe we were living in a simulation? In this post I shall discuss the consequences this would have on humankind.

If we are in The Simulation then what does that say about our humanity? One term that has been used is “virtual human”. Such beings would be reincarnated somewhere within The Simulation once they die. The workings of reincarnation would be done from behind a veil of ignorance but would be scrupulously fair and perhaps somehow related to our conduct? Unless it’s done by blind chance. But the thing is, either way we would not know where on Earth (or any other planet) we would be reincarnated, which would be a powerful reason to make the whole of our world a good place to live, lest one gets reborn in some horrid corner.

The realisation we are within a simulation would I believe have a unifying effect – as we would all be equal participants of The Simulation, regardless of race, sex, sexuality, or whatever. Also, as we die and are reborn we would exist as different races and sexes, meaning that (for instance) in one life one could be a man and in another a woman. This would I believe make people take racial and gender equality much more seriously and would result in a more equal society.

In some lives we would live in poor, undeveloped countries and in others we would live in a rich, highly developed country. I believe we’d take it in turns to live good lives and bad lives, so it would be in all our interests to make the whole wide world a better place in which to live as we don’t know in what part of it we’ll be born into in our next life.

So basically, if a great number of us believed we were living in a simulation the world would, due to rational self-interest, become an increasingly equal and developed place.

Assuming The Simulation is mechanical as opposed to organic then that would mean that the so-called “hard problem of consciousness” has been solved, by the creators of The Simulation. If of course there is a valid distinction to be made between “mechanical” and “organic”.

Premise 1: The hard problem of consciousness must be solved to produce sentient AI
Premise 2: We are sentient AI
Conclusion 1: Somewhere, the hard problem of consciousness has been solved.
Conclusion 2: Sentient AI is therefore possible.

This is at least valid!

This would mean that human civilization within The Simulation could someday produce sentient Artificial Intelligence. Unless of course we humans will always be much less able than the creators of The Simulation! But we can at least imagine as a possibility a future in which we can produce Artificial Consciousness within The Simulation. It would follow that such beings would also be citizens of The Simulation, which would mean in one life a person could be a human, and in another some kind of sentient “machine”.

What would happen to religion if significant numbers of people started to believe that we are living in a simulation? I think the world’s religions would continue, no doubt. And that most people would not believe we’re in a simulation, at least initially. But perhaps people would embrace Simulism as some kind of secular humanist philosophy? I think if Simulism were to become a philosophy rather than a hypothesis then the world would become a much better place, as I’ve previously explained.

But of course, it is still possible to believe in Simulism and a Supreme Being – it’s just that there’s an extra layer between humanity and the Supreme Being (namely The Simulation admin and its overseers). I personally believe in an ineffable God who rules over the whole of ultimate reality. And it is entirely possible that the influence of the Supreme Being reaches into The Simulation. But we could never understand this being – God – just as an ant cannot understand subtraction or grammar.

I don’t believe the world’s religions are lies, based on things done by The Simulation rather than God although I did use to. I do not believe, for instance, that The Simulation gave Moses the Ten Commandments, whilst pretending to be God. I believe all human religions arise from a mix of history, culture, myths, and the imagination, and various things that either didn’t happen or did, but were either added to and subtracted from later on. But I still believe in God – perhaps a Deist God?

To some, the Simulism hypothesis may sound bleak. I think it’s an uplifting idea and that if people came to believe in it the world would eventually become a better place. It would also mean that it is possible for a species to become ultra-advanced, which would give science and technology something to aspire to, to learn what the over-seers know. Perhaps some day we will become post-singularity space-faring post-human species, and become the equal to those who created The Simulation. But basically, I believe that the future of this planet, were people to believe in Simulism, would be a much happier one.

But of course, whether or not we’d like it to be true has nothing to do with whether or not it is!​

Click to expand...

Given that computer simulations are unable to act willfully or to experience whereas humans can act willfully and do experience; and given that there is no rational reason to conclude that computer simulations will ever be able to act willfully or experience, I conclude that there are no realistic implications of the proposition that "reality [is] a [computer] simulation," just as there are no realistic implications of the proposition that too many elephants may congregate on my eyeball.

Yet would stand to reason that if it's a simulation , it should then be possible to figure out/crack lines of code comparable with the binary system of zeros and ones associated with computing devices as we know them.

Click to expand...

Binary is a very inefficient method of coding in comparison to sentient strings, that can readjust themselves; plus can perform any number of actions they're instructed to remember.

No it's not, but based on past experience, I'm not surprised to see your confirmation bias hard at work.

Click to expand...

It's hardly confirmation bias when the evidence is strong enough to disprove it , with zilch evidences that any alternate methodology or means is at play.

The idea of a simulation is pretty far-fetched to begin with considering it's already been conclusively proven it's not a simulation by the experts, and I'm not aware of any real additional proofs or conclusions to the contrary that there are even plausible alternates that could effectively create a simulation.

Premium Member

Having coded my sites PHP object orientated system; we can code a system to have a list of criteria that cause reactions based on interaction...

Add an AI that learns from this, and writes its own mechanisms to streamline its self; then we will have sentience after awhile.

In my opinion.

Click to expand...

I still haven't seen any study that demonstrated that computer programs have experiences or act willfully. And I know of no rational reason to conclude that computer programs have experiences of act willfully.